Venues

Style

Setting

Colors

There’s a new kind of rustic in town and it’s awash with bold florals and a Bride with a killer sense of style. Yes, fabulous Tessa Kim pouf veil, I’m lookin at you. April Flowers crafted this affair from flowers so bright, you almost need shades to a whopping fabric instillation that will have you at hello. And all of that is wrapped into just the kind of affair we adore around these parts with enough images by Mi Belle Photography to wile away the afternoon. You can do so right now in the full gallery.

From the Bride… When my husband and I became engaged, we set out to plan our wedding day with one main goal: to create a friendly, warm setting for a fabulous dinner party. We settled on a venue in Central California (right in between our families in the north and us down south) that allowed us a great deal of freedom to create just this. We then found a caterer who offered a family-style service with the menu based on what was in season and available locally, and we were off!

In the beginning stages, we pulled inspiration heavily from Style Me Pretty and learned early on that Pinterest would be a lifesaver. We decided that it was okay that we couldn’t decide on set colors and instead tried to make each decision cohesive with the previous ones. We were fortunate enough to be surrounded by gifted friends and family, so we utilized their talents wherever possible. My matron of honor shot our engagement photos, my brother made the table numbers, my husband’s cousin drew the caricature for our guest book, a DJ/college friend handled music, another friend did hair, the best man’s mom officiated, my dad (a farmer) saved almonds from harvest for guests to snack on, and so forth. It was very important to us that we made decisions that felt natural and not forced so that the day was truly a reflection of us and the family and friends who surrounded us.

From working at Bella Bridesmaid, I picked up many tips from brides long before it was time to plan our own wedding, and a couple stuck with me. First, choose three options in each category, select, move on, and don’t look back (really!). We still had some late nights of indecision, but for the most part this reminder was a great part of our planning success and in turn, we couldn’t have been happier with the choices we made and the team of talented vendors who helped create our day. Another tip would be to keep a positive, can-do attitude as much as possible, as this will infiltrate through your wedding party and vendors to create a very rewarding experience on the big day. We had to keep this in mind down to the last minute, as potential rain was threatening our outdoor ceremony. It would have been easy to lose it, but we insisted on the “keep calm and carry on” motto, and when the skies stayed clear we hadn’t wasted any energy on worry. Instead, we were able to focus on what we had accomplished with the help of our friends, family and vendors — a colorful, food-filled bash that we’ll never forget.